Rehearsals began in October for this year’s musical production of Legally Blonde the Musical Jr.  It is directed by Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Alzapiedi and choreographed by Mrs. Penzone; costumes and backstage direction are done by Mrs. Cohen.  Legally Blonde the Musical Jr. is based in modern times and is about a girl named Elle.  Elle gets dumped by Warner because he wants someone serious. She follows him to Harvard hoping to win him back.  The rehearsals are usually in the auditorium on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

The rehearsals leading up to the show require a lot of hard work from the directors and the actors.  When the actors first get their scripts they review their lines during a read through of the show.  Rehearsals are broken up into scenes.  Students first learn their songs, followed by choreography and blocking, depending on the scene.  Actors then go home and practice their scenes and lines.

Cast members voted for the musical last year.  Although Legally Blonde the Musical Jr. received the most votes, Mrs.Morris wanted a different production.  She wanted Madagascar Jr. because there were more leads and a female could play a male role if needed. Mrs. Morris also said that the school always does a straight play and a musical because some kids like to sing and some kids just like to act.  In all the years of Trottier productions, the worst thing to happen during a performance was actors freezing or forgetting their lines on stage, but the show still went on.

Students like being involved in the theater for a variety of reasons.  Sarah Boush, who plays Elle, said she “likes theater, hanging out with friends, and completing the self-goal of becoming Elle.”  Many other members of the cast said that being involved in the theater is a fun experience.  When asked how long it takes them to learn their lines, the responses ranged from an hour or two all the way to a couple of months.  Brady Leonard said it takes him about a month because he frequently reviews his scenes. It depends on the person because some people read their lines every day; others don’t put that much effort into it, and it takes longer for them. The favorite plays that people acted in varied, but for Brady, it was easily Night At the Wax Museum.    

Legally Blonde Jr. is scheduled to be performed in the Trottier auditorium on January 26, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. and January 27, 2018, at 3:00 p.m.  Come support Trottier Middle School’s theater program.